Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh today announced the establishment of a new Weavers’ Service Centre (WSC) in Meghalaya to build a strong textile and sericulture ecosystem.

Singh made the announcement after he inaugurated the Integrated Textile & Tourism Centre (ITTC) and EKTA Meghalaya (Exhibition cum Knowledge Sharing for Textiles Advantage) here in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district.

“In Guwahati, the Weavers’ Service Centre is a vital hub offering technical and design support to weavers. Right now, we have only one such Centre in the region. I will now set up one in every state - starting from Meghalaya, once land is allotted by the state government,” the Textile minister said.

Announcing new efforts to boost farmers’ income, the union Minister said that Central Silk Board and the State Sericulture Department would jointly work to double farmer’s incomes by moving from two Muga crops to three so farmers can double their income.

“One acre can yield Rs four to five lakh with best practices,” he said, emphasising the need to build an ecosystem that unlocks the region’s full potential.

“India is the only country producing different silks - Muga, Tasar, Mulberry and Eri. If Meghalaya and the North East scale up Muga and Eri, India can become a global leader, especially as other countries shift to synthetics,” he said.

The union Minister also said that the ITTC will serve as an integrated platform for training, design development, silk processing, product diversification and tourism, enabling Meghalaya’s artisans to access national and international opportunities.

He said that the union government is implementing multiple schemes to support handloom clusters, improve raw material availability, modernize weaving technologies and promote natural fibres globally.

“The Northeast is the pride of India’s textile heritage. It is the land of Muga, Eri and traditional weaving excellence. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are committed to strengthening every link of the textile value chain in this region right from cocoon to global markets,” Singh assured.

Highlighting the Ministry’s livelihood-focused initiative, he said, “My goal is to connect every weaver to an income of Rs 50,000 per month - this is our ‘Pachlakhia Didi’ model. We have prepared the roadmap and we will implement it in Meghalaya with the State Government’s support.”

The union Minister also interacted with master weavers and local producers, who expressed gratitude for the new facility, noting that the ITTC will help them access training, raw material support and better market opportunities.

Union Minister of State for Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, highlighted the significant presence of Northeast artisans on global platforms.

“At BharatTex recently - one of the largest textile events in the world, over two lakh industry stakeholders and 6,000 international buyers participated. On that same stage, a weaver from a remote village in Meghalaya presented their fabric with pride. This is the power of integration and India’s growth story under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

Margherita emphasised that 52 percent of India’s handlooms are located in the Northeast, making the region one of the strongest textile clusters in the country.

He also informed that all textile ministers from across India will convene in Guwahati next month to deliberate on a Northeast-focused textile development agenda.